[rec.hunting] Bear Liver

meyers@leonardo.rtp.dg.com (Bill Meyers) (03/29/91)

In article <421@erb1.engr.wisc.edu> mitchell@metaphor.metaphor.com (Greg Mitchell) writes:
[ ... ]
>think any are but some people like it, although I understand that bear
>liver can be poisonous ). Butchering information would show sketetal

That's Polar Bear liver, which concentrates vitamin A.  (A piece of
Polar Bear liver the size of a vitamin A pill _is_ a vitamin A pill. :-)
Ditto other carnivorous marine mammals?  But not other bears, I think.

ftpam1@acad3.alaska.edu (MUNTS PHILLIP A) (03/30/91)

In article <452@erb1.engr.wisc.edu>, meyers@leonardo.rtp.dg.com (Bill Meyers) writes...
>In article <421@erb1.engr.wisc.edu> mitchell@metaphor.metaphor.com (Greg Mitchell) writes:
>[ ... ]
>>think any are but some people like it, although I understand that bear
>>liver can be poisonous ). Butchering information would show sketetal
> 
>That's Polar Bear liver, which concentrates vitamin A.  (A piece of
>Polar Bear liver the size of a vitamin A pill _is_ a vitamin A pill. :-)
>Ditto other carnivorous marine mammals?  But not other bears, I think.

Grizzlies, too, I understand.  (They can breed with polar bears, BTW)

Philip Munts N7AHL
NRA Extremist, etc.
University of Alaska, Fairbanks

fsadl@acad3.alaska.edu (LOOMIS ANDREW D) (03/30/91)

In article <452@erb1.engr.wisc.edu>, meyers@leonardo.rtp.dg.com (Bill Meyers) writes...
>In article <421@erb1.engr.wisc.edu> mitchell@metaphor.metaphor.com (Greg Mitchell) writes:
>[ ... ]
>>think any are but some people like it, although I understand that bear
>>liver can be poisonous ). Butchering information would show sketetal
> 
>That's Polar Bear liver, which concentrates vitamin A.  (A piece of
>Polar Bear liver the size of a vitamin A pill _is_ a vitamin A pill. :-)
>Ditto other carnivorous marine mammals?  But not other bears, I think.

Add Greenland Husky to that list.  Just in case you ever have to eat your sled
dogs like Roald Amundssen did on his trip to the South Pole.

Andrew Loomis
Bitnet: FSADL@ALASKA
Internet: FSADL@ACAD3.ALASKA.EDU

Never have so many owed so much to so few.  -Winston Churchill

He must have been thinking of our liquor bills.  -An unidentified RAF pilot

ccmay@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Chris May) (03/30/91)

meyers@leonardo.rtp.dg.com (Bill Meyers) writes:

>>think any are but some people like it, although I understand that bear
>>liver can be poisonous ). Butchering information would show sketetal

>That's Polar Bear liver, which concentrates vitamin A.  (A piece of
>Polar Bear liver the size of a vitamin A pill _is_ a vitamin A pill. :-)
>Ditto other carnivorous marine mammals?  But not other bears, I think.

I believe it is dangerous to eat the liver of *any* carnivorous mammal. 
Coyotes, wolves, and other members of the dog family all have extremely
high Vit A levels in their livers.  I don't know about bears either, 
but I sure wouldn't tempt fate.

--ccm
Chris May
Dartmouth Med '93

bbowen@decwrl.dec.com (Bruce Bowen) (04/02/91)

In article <452@erb1.engr.wisc.edu> meyers@leonardo.rtp.dg.com (Bill Meyers) writes:
>In article <421@erb1.engr.wisc.edu> mitchell@metaphor.metaphor.com (Greg Mitchell) writes:
>[ ... ]
>>think any are but some people like it, although I understand that bear
>>liver can be poisonous ). Butchering information would show sketetal
>
>That's Polar Bear liver, which concentrates vitamin A.  (A piece of
>Polar Bear liver the size of a vitamin A pill _is_ a vitamin A pill. :-)
>Ditto other carnivorous marine mammals?  But not other bears, I think.

  As I understand it, the liver of any carnivorous animal is suspect.
The liver of all animals tends to concentrate vitamin A.  Herbivorous
animals don't eat much vitamin A, but carnivorous animals tend to eat
the liver of whatever animals they eat, thereby enhancing their intake
of vitamin A and thereby enhancing the concentration of vitamin A in
there livers.  Most bears, other than polar bears, are largely
omniverous though. 

-Bruce

mccormic@stolaf.edu (WOLF) (04/10/91)

Remember also that the liver (and kidney) is used to remove poisons from
the bloodstream.  Some of these can be stored there for some time.  So
you may be in for all sorts of unknown stuff.
--
Cameron McCormick  mccormic@acc.stolaf.edu

(space designated for sagely remarks only)
sorry no sagely remarks today